campbell county chamber of commerce

"It takes about eight years to train a Governor, and just when you get 'em trained, they leave."

Governor Matt Mead gave his eighth and final State of the State address this morning on the floor of the Wyoming Legislature. He opened his speech joking that Speaker Steve Harshman and Senate President Eli Bebout told him it's a shame this is his last year, as he's just getting trained to be Governor.

He went on to thank the Legislature for working with him for the past seven years, and went over the accomplishments of the Legislature during his term. But he also cautioned against making cuts to education and social services, saying that the quality of Wyoming's public school system is at stake. The Governor also reported that revenue is forecast to see an increase of $140 million since the last outlook in October, and that Wyoming has remained strong during the economic downturn.

Mead also discussed ENDOW, and how he is not afraid that diversifying Wyoming's economy isn't a possibility.

“I reject the notion that Wyoming is incapable of determining its own destiny or that our future will only be determined by commodity prices or other exterior forces,” Mead said. “Surely the Equality State -- the Cowboy State -- has a belief in self-determination.”